Mobile by Sainsbury's plans give you double Nectar points

Massive orange supermarket Sainsbury's has launched its phone network today, with three pay as you go deals that net customers extra Nectar points.

Those who regularly harvest and collect Nectar points will be happy to learn that signing up to one of Sainsbury's tariffs will double the Nectar points you earn when you shop in the supermarket, and also earn you four points per £1 that you top up.

The deals themselves aren't too high-flying, and are definitely aimed at those looking to snap up a mobile on a budget.

There's a 'Basic' option which offers calls from 8p per minute and texts for 4p each, while data costs 50p per day for a mere 25MB. Three 30-day bundles are also available, costing £10, £15 and £20, with all three offering unlimited texts and the most expensive providing 1GB of data.

Supporting the new deals are a range of budget-friendly phones that you'll find in one of Sainsbury's six experimental in-store phone shops, with the most basic being the £12 Nokia 100, and the £115 Samsung Galaxy Fame providing the swankier high-end option.

The minimum amount you can top up is £5, and a 'borrow a pound' option gets you an emergency £1 of credit. The credit you use and a 10p charge "will be deducted from your next top up", Sainsbury's explains.

Sainsbury's doesn't run its own network, but will piggyback on Vodafone's. Its biggest rival will likely be Tesco Mobile, which offers Clubcard points to customers and is powered by O2's infrastructure.

Are you tempted to sign up to Sainsbury's, or should the food-flogging firm stick to comestibles? Let me know in the comments, or on our Facebook wall.